Pilot Project: Low birth weight (LBW) in children of individuals with Juvenile Periodontitis. Specific Aim: To determine if there is a relationship between periodontal status of mothers with juvenile periodontitis and the birth weights of their children. Background and Significance: Results of a pilot study by Offenbacher et al (J. Dent. Res. 71:247, 1992) imply that periodontal disease may be a risk factor for LBW in children of a subset of individuals. Since juvenile periodontitis (JP) occurs at much higher rates in black populations than in white populations (Brown and Loe, J. Periodontal. 52:608, 1991) and thus affects postpubertal individuals with JP. We reason that the unusually rapid and severe periodontal destruction that occurs in individuals with JP should place them at high risk for LBW children. It this is so, then early detection of risk for periodontitis in young adults would be of great benefit in prevention of LBW in this population. Experimental Design and Methods: The study population for this project will include females in the more than 400 families previously identified in both Maryland and Virginia with JP, as well as members of additional families identified via collaboration with Howard University via the companion project in this application entitled Family Studies of Early Onset Periodontitis (J. Boughman, P.I.). A project is proposed in which new mothers within these families with and without JP will be studied. In Virginia we have identified 175 offspring of individuals with JP; of these, 120 are black. We propose to study these individuals as well as a control group comprising children of periodontally healthy siblings of these subjects. Complete histories, including assessment of factors commonly associated with LBW (age, tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, and nutritional and socioeconomic status) will be obtained. Additionally, periodontal status will be assessed, including measures of periodontal attachment loss (ALOSS). ANCOVA will be used with birth weight as the response variable to identify the relationship between birth weight and ALOSS; risk factors described above will be used as covariates in the analysis. It is predicted, if the hypothesis is valid, that there will be a correlation between mean ALOSS and birth weight in LBW cases when other putative risk factors are taken into account. Should an association be found, the study will be expanded in future years to include unrelated age- and race-matched individuals identified through the School of Dentistry clinics and the Public Health Department Clinics (with which we have a working relationship) as a further control group. If LBW is found to be associated with ALOSS, studies can be designed in the future to determine if a cause and effect relationship exists and various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities can be proposed and tested for prevention of LBW.